


The Heart And The Shape

by Pyriphlegethons



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha Shiro (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drugs, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Heavy Metal Band AU, Hunk/Pidge and Allura/Lance are side ships but will be kept in the ship tag, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Keith is a punk rocker, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Keith (Voltron), Rockstar AU, Self-Harm, Shiro is metal band vocalist, because they will be doing shippy things more than once, some light feminization for Keith
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-23 04:58:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15598797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyriphlegethons/pseuds/Pyriphlegethons
Summary: Keith never expected heavy metal to look and sound so good.(Shiro is the vocalist of a metal band, and Keith falls hard fast)





	1. We Are The Sound

**Author's Note:**

> This is so fucking self indulgent.  
> Anyone who knows me, most likely knows that I am a huge metalhead. It's my favorite genre of music and I listen to it almost exclusively.  
> Anyway, this started with a tweet I made where I said Keith is totally a punk rocker, and that Shiro likes heavy metal. Then this AU surfaced and I'm in way too deep.
> 
> I'm combining everything I love into this: Sheith, ABO, and metal. I really hope someone out there likes this idea as much as I do. 
> 
> All chapters are named after a song I like! All of those songs will fall somewhere into the metal category. I hope everyone who read this enjoys!

Keith always biked the same way home everyday after school. He knew the street like the back of his hand. It was a quiet street, only a few roads down from his house. Keith liked to cruise slowly with his headphones on, listening to punk music from the 70’s. It was a normal bike ride home, just like any other day of the week in the middle of spring. He went down that same road, a few streets down from his house, when the song playing into his ears faded out, about to start the next. However, before it rolled over, Keith heard the slamming of drum cymbals and the screeching of an electric guitar. Hastily, Keith removed his headphones and halted his bike, looking around the quiet neighborhood until he spotted three boys playing some instruments in an open garage. No one was singing, only playing. 

 

Keith stared, fascinated, as they played. The guitarist and the bassist were facing the other boy on drums, so thankfully none of them could see him watching. He felt so much passion in that loud, screechy guitar, like love was going into every note, despite how it was a little out of tune. It must have been old, strings clearly worn from overuse. Keith loved it. He waited there, entranced, until the music stopped. In his panic to not be seen, Keith biked home as fast as could, in complete silence. It only took five minutes to get back to his house, and he let his bike collapse beside his back porch before he ran inside past his mother and father, making a b-line right to his bedroom.

 

His bedroom was a safe space, of sorts. While his parents were always loving and supportive of him, Keith found sometimes he wasn’t comfortable expressing himself entirely. He was a budding youth, not yet presented, and still hadn’t quite found his place or a clique he fit into yet. His room was a perfect reflection of Keith’s personality, the inner workings of his mind and full of things he loved. Walls plastered with old Sex Pistols posters, among several other punk bands he loved. He had a map of the World above his desk on the far side of the room, which held art supplies he was too scared to use, in fear of wasting it all on something lackluster. He painted an accent wall in his room a cherry red at the beginning of his 8th grade year, to help offset the stark white, and in the center of that red wall was where his bed sat. 

 

Keith dropped his book bag on the floor beside his desk before going over to his strung up polaroids, taken by a camera gifted to him by his parents for Christmas a couple years back when he showed an interest in photography. They hung up on either side of his bed by a strand of yarn and paperclips, connecting on the corners of the walls. Some were pictures of the beach, sunsets, and him with his best friends; Lance, Pidge, and Hunk. The camera used to take said pictures sat nicely on top of a bookshelf directly beside his desk. Sleek black furniture balanced out the otherwise overwhelming amount of red in his bedroom, along with black and white bedding and an ungodly amount of cute plush animals he was too embarrassed to admit he still owned.

 

He loved his room. He felt safe there. Understood by his walls and the faces on all his posters. His parents always loved and supported him and his interests, but they didn’t need to know everything about him. Keith flopped back onto his bed and pulled out his phone, pulling up Google and typing in a simple search for red guitars. His stomach sank when he saw the prices varying anywhere from five hundred, to a few thousand dollars. His parents would never be able to afford something like that for him, and Keith wouldn’t ever ask them to. He was content with listening to music, but he longed to play it with the same passion the man in that garage did. The thought of it rattled Keith in a way music never had before. 

 

Keith dropped his phone beside him on his pillow, and then toed off his cherry red converse, letting them hit the floor before rolling onto his side. His body felt hot, which was unusual for the cool weather in early spring. He found himself panting softly, trying to catch his breath before the dull sound of a knock entered his ears. “Mom?” He questioned, suddenly having too little strength to roll onto his back. “Hot…” Keith groaned when he felt a cool hand against his unbelievably hot forehead.

 

“Keith, honey,” Krolia spoke softly as she removed her hand from Keith’s skin. “You’re going into heat. You just presented.” She kept her voice level, speaking slowly and waiting for the nods of acknowledgment from her son. “I’m going to help you get into your pajamas, and I’m going to get you some water. Will you be ok for a few minutes?” She asked.

 

Nodding again, Keith struggled to move his heavy, hot body to assist in getting undressed. The cool air felt lovely once he was dressed in a pair of thin pajamas, and then a weight lifted off his bed. Krolia returned several moments later and pressed a cold cloth to Keith’s forehead, cooing as he whined uncomfortably. “Shh, Keith. You’ll be fine. Rest for a while, and I’ll be in and out to check on you, okay?”

 

“Okay…” Keith rasped, throat suddenly feeling dry. He cracked open his eyes long enough to see the worried expression on his mother’s face, before he went out like a light.   
  


Keith couldn’t believe he went into heat over watching some dude play a guitar.

 

*

*

*

*

 

A few months passed before Keith saw the man in the garage playing music again. Keith was biking home with his friends Lance and Hunk when he saw the man strumming his guitar while someone else played a low tune on a bass. Keith stopped and smiled as he watched them, seeing the way music carried the guitarist’s motions and the way he nodded his head and stepped to the beat the bassist was keeping. Lance and Hunk both stared with a raised eyebrow, not entirely sure what they were waiting for.

 

“Dude, we gotta get started on this history report.” Hunk interrupted, but Keith only shushed softly, a hand raised up while he kept his eyes locked onto the guitarist. “Uhh, Keith? You okay?”

 

“Perfect.” Keith said, and his head began to sway with the soft tune. It wasn’t loud and noisy like the last time Keith saw him playing; this was more like a ballad. The bassist stood still as he played, while the guitarist was fully embracing the music and letting his body rock and move in ways that made Keith feel like he was witnessing something incredibly intimate. “Sorry, we can go now.” 

 

Lance and Hunk went on ahead, but Keith kept a slow pace behind them so he could enjoy the sound for as long as possible. He felt an unexplainable emptiness when they reached his house, walking in through the back door and setting their bookbags down by the dining room table. “Hey, what was that?” Lance asked, thumb pointing over his shoulder in the vague direction that they came from. “You never get like that. Where did serious Keith go?”

 

“I just like to listen to the music, that’s all.” Keith said, almost defensively as he pulled out his binder and pencil. “He plays outside with some other people sometimes, and it sounds good.” The Omega added, to make sure there wasn’t any sort of confusion regarding his moment of bliss while watching someone play beautiful music.

 

“Looks to me like you have a crush.” Lance teased, and it was exactly what Keith  _ didn’t  _ want to hear. “Whatever, let’s just get crackin’ on this report.”

 

“Like I had been saying for like, two days before you guys  _ finally  _ decided to make time to actually get together.” Hunk rolled his eyes, pulling a notebook out along with a few other necessities; like a pencil case, and a few bags of candies as concentration food.

 

Amongst the debating, bickering, and finally agreement on what they should write and how to write it, Keith’s mind still drifted back to that man in the garage. Any moment of silence the three friends got, the Omega would think of him. Once the group study session was over, and the sky was growing dark, Keith waved his Beta friends off from his front porch with a smile. In the silence after Lance and Hunk were out of earshot, Keith could hear the strumming of a guitar from drown the way. He stood, sighing happily for a moment longer than necessary, before he headed back inside.

 

*

*

*

*

 

Keith was a senior now. In fact, he was more than that. He was about to become a freshman in college by the end of the summer. Keith made a habit of always going by that same house, to see the man in the garage play his guitar. He’d learned a while back that Pidge’s older brother, Matt, plays drums at the mystery man’s house. Said mystery man is named Shiro, apparently. Now able to put a name to him, Keith somehow felt closer to the music he heard when he biked by the garage every day. 

 

Around Keith’s junior year in high school, he also noticed that bassist was different than before. When Keith was a freshman, he remembered seeing a man with short brown hair and glasses on the bass. He was practically lifeless, but he kept a good beat when Matt wasn’t around. Now, a taller man with long white hair took his place, and he added much more to the music Shiro played. He had more life than the man before, even if he wasn’t as into it as Shiro was. 

 

He had also noticed that once the new bassist joined, the band started practicing with vocals more often. First it was singing, and god did Shiro have the most angelic voice Keith had ever heard. From singing, he moved into rumbling growls, then edging into screaming like the rockstar of a heavy metal band. Keith never personally liked that genre of music, but, wow. He never expected metal to look or sound so good. It was so full of passion, life, and meaning. Keith wished every day that he had the guts to go over there and tell them how much he loved their music, and that he’d been silently appreciating it for years. Sadly, Keith couldn’t. He felt like a creep whenever he thought of walking over there and seeing Shiro’s face up close for the first time. 

 

But, because of this garage metal band, it gave Keith the urge to explore more bands like it. He wasn’t too fond of the ones that popped up by Googling “heavy metal bands”, so he took it upon himself to find venues where local bands play. He’d swapped his bike out for a pretty red car at the beginning of senior year, and often drove himself and his three, mostly unwilling, friends to listen to local bands kind of suck on a stage. Kind of, only because a lot of them were in high school, but also some of them were a little more seasoned and from out of town doing a mini-tour around the state. Those were the better bands, In Keith’s opinion. 

 

On one particular night, though, Keith had taken a glance at the roster for that week's bands. Some names he had recognized, bands that he knew he liked before. A few other names were new, though, ones Keith hadn’t recalled ever seeing or hearing before. One that caught his eye most was  _ The Black Paladins. _ It was almost edgy, the Omega thought to himself as he drove to the venue with Pidge in the passenger seat, and Hunk, Lance, and Allura in the back. How Lance managed to talk his girlfriend into coming, Keith would never know, but he was eternally grateful that she was willing to help support local bands with them.

 

“So, who’re the people we’re going to see today? Any ones you’re excited for, Keith?” Hunk asked, above the quiet punk music playing out of Keith’s radio. “You seemed really excited for this tonight, like, more than usual.” He added.

 

“Oh, that actually reminds me that Matt’s band is playing tonight.” Pidge perked up, looking at Keith almost deviously. “You know, the one with the singer you have a crush on?” She giggled, getting a surprised and almost offended look from Keith.

 

“Did you not tell me that on  _ purpose? _ ” Keith asked with a groan while pulling into the venue parking lot. “Okay, at least tell me their name.” He asked, refusing to unlock the door until Pidge answered.

 

“Not telling!” She snickered, pulling the lock up from her door and bounding out before Keith could reach over the center console and stop her. “You’ll just have to wait and find out!”

 

“Pidge!” Keith called out dramatically before sighing and getting out of the car. Of  _ course  _ that would happen. The only bright side was that, at least his chance of meeting Shiro was pretty slim. “Pidge, wait up! We’re paying for the group ticket this time!” 

 

“I don’t know how many more shows I’ll be able to survive, Lance.” Allura said, holding tightly onto the Beta’s arm as they walked behind Hunk. “I love to show my support, and I care about Keith, but this music is just… so much.” She said with a sigh.

 

“Oh, it ain’t so bad.” Lance made an attempt to cheer the Alpha girl up with a kiss on her cheek, before pulling out his wallet and handing Keith a ten dollar bill. “I’m paying for the lady this time.” He said, sounding proud of doing something so simple, but got a sweet look from Allura regardless.

 

“You guys are so gross.” Pidge said, eyes glued to her phone. “Maybe Keith and Shiro can date and you can go on gross double dates together.”

 

“Pidge, stop!” Keith hissed, hand held out over the check in counter after paying to get a little black stamp on the back of his hand. “Come on, I paid for you so get your stamp.”

 

Hunk hummed as he smudged a bit of the ink on the back of his hand while following everyone into a rather crowded room. “Wow, it’s busy today. You never did tell me who all was playing tonight, Keith.” The Beta placed a hand on the Omega’s shoulder to get his attention.

 

“Oh, right. Sorry.” Keith pulled a flyer out of his back pocket, unfolding it and pointing at the names as he read them off. “Robeast, Daibazaal, Olkarion…” He trailed on, reading the rest of the names he didn’t care so much for, before getting to the last one. “And, the last band playing is called The Black Paladins.” 

 

“Wow, how edgy.” Lance joked as they wandered to the concession stand to get a bottle of water while waiting for the first band to finish doing their mic tests. “It’s like a bunch of D&D nerds made a band and thought everyone would think they’re cool for it, or something.”

 

“That is  _ literally  _ the exact same thing I thought, man.” Keith laughed, sipping at his water and huddling up to an empty space near the wall. “Like, surely they’re more creative than that. I just hope their music is good, to make up for it.”

 

“Some of these bands sound new, too.” Hunk said after taking a glance at the flyer. “At least three of them. I can’t remember a whole lot of their names.” He held the flyer closer, trying to read better under the dimming lights in the concert hall. “Oh, I recognize Balmera. They’re playing today too?”

 

“Yeah, you liked them last time.” Pidge said, looking up at Hunk. “Remember? They were the one with the girl who sang sometimes. I remember because you said you had a crush on her.” The shorter Omega added with a big smile. “Oh, by the way, my brother isn’t here yet so I think he’s playing a little bit later. You’re in luck, Keith.” 

 

“Hey, hey. I didn’t say I had a crush on her. I said I thought she was pretty and had a very nice voice.” Hunk explained, trying to defend himself. “If anything, Lance totally had a crush on everyone in that girl band, Plaxum and the whatevers.” 

 

“Oh, did you now?” Allura smirked, staring up at Lance, who was frantically waving his free hand in front of him. “It’s okay, as long as you know you’ll never have a chance with them.” She said biting words sweetly, before kissing his cheek and turning once the crowd began to shift to the center of the concert hall. “Looks like it’s starting. I should have brought some ear plugs.” She sighed.

 

Keith quickly made himself over to the side of the crowd, only a few feet away from the mosh pit. He liked Robeast, and since they were opening, he wanted to get close before the crowd got too crazy for them. He made sure to avoid getting dragged into a mosh pit, after probably the only thing he could describe as a near death experience happened when he was sixteen and just starting to get into local concerts; even if it was only once every month or so. 

 

The song started slow; perfect for an opener. They’d played it the last time there were at this venue, and Keith remembered it had a quick uptake before finally the screaming started. They weren’t bad at it, but the vocalist definitely needed more time to get it down perfectly. He could say, with certainty, that they were one of his favorite locals. Three songs later, the next band was on. Keith quickly lost his friends to the sea of people in such a small space, but he knew he would see them once the whole concert was over anyways.

 

Three more bands played before Pidge was tugging on Keith’s tank top, leaning up to speak into his ear and over the music. “My brother and his band just got here! I think they’re playing soon!” The Omega yelled, but being so close to the speaker nearly drowned her voice out.

 

“Okay!” Keith replied, equally loud, before turning back to the band playing the last couple minutes of their final song, now finally starting the intermission to give the next band time to set up. “Are you sure they’re here? I don’t see your brother anywhere.” He asked, now able to actually have a coherent conversation with Pidge. 

 

“He’s in the back, getting their stuff out of his car.” Pidge explained as she read over the texts. “Lance went outside to have a smoke and Allura went with him. I think Hunk is dead somewhere, probably.” The Omega shrugged.

 

“He will be missed.” Keith nodded solemnly, before he and Pidge both giggled. “Okay, food break while the bands are setting up?” Keith asked, suddenly seeing Hunk walk over with a bag in his hand. “Where did you  _ go? _ ”

 

“Taco bell.” Hunk answered around bites of a burrito. “That last band was  _ eh. _ Not my thing. I think they were a little too industrial for me.” 

 

“I’m amazed you got into this enough to even know the difference between industrial and every other type of metal.” Keith laughed. “Most people think it all just sounds the same.” 

 

“I mean, it does at first. But it’s kinda like how I had no idea what they were saying when they did that screamo stuff, but after like, two months in I started to be able to hear it more clearly.” Hunk explained while placing a taco into Pidge’s hand. “Exposure, probably?”

 

“Makes sense.” Keith nodded, walking back to the concession stand and paying for a bag of chips while Lance and Allura regrouped with them. “Hey, have fun on your smoke break?” 

 

“Oh, we did more than- ow!” Lance whined when Allura grabbed at her boyfriend’s cheek, pinching and pulling a bit with a blush on her dark cheeks. “Yep, we had fun. Smokin’ a cig with my lady. Fun.” He grinned, leaving it at that once his girlfriend rolled her eyes. “Who’s next?” He asked, taking the flyer when Hunk handed it to him. 

 

“Not sure. I noticed they’re not playing in the order they’re listed, so it could be anyone.” Keith shrugged, speaking around a mouthful of cheetos. Turning to look at the stage, he squinted under the dark lights as he tried to see the people setting up the drumset. “I can’t tell who they are. Too far away and too dark.” He said, tossing the cheeto bag out once he finished eating them. “Okay, looks like they’re almost done. I’m getting back up by the stage.”

 

“M’kay, have fun.” Pidge smiled, nose buried in her phone and refusing to look up when Keith raised an eyebrow at her. Once he was out of earshot, she turned to the others. “That’s my brother’s band setting up.” She giggled.

 

“Oh, oh no.” Hunk stifled a laugh. “Keith is gonna die when he sees that Shiro guy right in front of him.”

 

“Oh yeah.” Pidge nodded, quickly finishing her taco before getting back in the crowd. “Okay, I told him I would take a video so I’m gonna do that. You guys have fun over here, sucking face, I guess.” She gestured to Lance and Allura, who were idly swaying and smooching in each others arms. 

 

Hunk followed Pidge, refusing to be the third wheel again. “You think Keith is gonna, like, have a meltdown?” He asked, watching the shadows on stage finish setting up before the light stum of a guitar string sounded over the speakers, a clear mic test.

 

“Oh, I totally think he will.” Pidge held her phone in portrait mode waiting for the lights to brighten a bit over the stage before hitting record.

 

The moment the lights came back on and Keith got right in front of center stage, the Omega saw him. Shiro. Standing there in a leather jacket, ripped up shirt, and equally ripped up jeans. He was so intimidating up close, to the point where Keith felt that this  _ Alpha _ could crush him under his combat boots if he wanted. Keith would probably be okay with it, too. His breath hitched when Shiro played a quick little tune, smile on those lips, before he leaned into the mic.

 

“Hey there, this is our first ever show and we’re excited to be here!” Shiro said, cotton candy sweet. No one applauded, no one did anything. “We’re The Black Paladins.” He added, and after another moment of awkward silence, he continued on, totally unfazed by the lack of reaction. “Our first song is called “We Used To Be Called  _ The Dark Knights _ But Batman Fucking Cucked Us”.” That got a giggle out of a few people in the crowd.

 

“... By Fallout Boy.” Matt said, leaning into his mic, before he started up the drum beat followed by a nasty shred on Shiro’s guitar. 

 

It was so, so fucking magical. Keith was gaping the entire time Shiro sang a note, the bassist echoing behind him. Shiro was so animated on stage, so totally engrossed in the music he was playing, almost like he had no worried. Like there was no audience. The chorus ended, and those almost sexual growls came out. Keith’s body shivered as it reverberated through his bones, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away. He was so close, he could touch Shiro if he wanted to. 

 

That song felt all too short, and Keith begged some god above that they had more than two songs to play for their set. He was in luck, though, when Shiro leaned back into the mic to thank everyone for their cheers; almost like he assumed they would underestimate him and his band. “This next one is called “Patience Yields Focus”.” Keith briefly thought how cheesy it was, for Shiro to announce the names of every song before they played. But, Keith didn’t mind once it started, and how he now had names to help him further familiarize himself with their songs.

 

The next song was a bit slower, a little more melody to be had with it than the first one. Shiro had an angelic voice, Keith knew that. But, to hear it over such loud speakers, to feel every cord through the amps… he felt more  _ alive  _ than ever before. The bassist could apparently do more than just backup sing; he could also growl, even if it wasn’t as lovely as Shiro’s. It was a good compliment to the tone of the song, and Keith swayed as he listened, making brief eye contact with Shiro as he did.

 

Keith’s face lit up like a Christmas light when Shiro smiled at him, before looking back out around the crowd as he slowly danced with his mic and guitar until the end of the song, a lovely base cord as the perfect punctuation to such a somber song. “One more song for you guys tonight.” Shiro said, once more applauds died down. “Called “To The Moon”. Hope you guys enjoy.” 

 

The start of the song was all wailing guitar and crashing cymbals; it was almost angry, but also unexpectedly sad. Keith felt heat rush through him as he pulled his phone out, snapping a quick picture, one so gorgeous of Shiro singing into the mic, eyes shut, and bathed in red and orange lights above the stage. His hands touching his white Les Paul tenderly, like it was more fragile than it actually was, and Keith wished the Alpha on stage would play him like the strings on his guitar. 

 

_ Fuck _ . Keith couldn’t take his eyes off of Shiro. Not even when heat rushed over his cheeks and his jaw hung open. He stared, entranced by Shiro and everything he did on that stage. The ending of the song was a slow bass line and a quiet drum beat, Shiro's lovely voice holding a long note before it was all over. The crowd was almost in an uproar over how  _ surprisingly good _ The Black Paladins were.

 

Pidge pulled Keith out of the crowd of people in a panic, fencing him in with Hunk and Lance on either side of the Omega. “Keith, are you feeling okay?” She asked as hands went up to feels his flushed cheeks and forehead.

 

“Peachy.” Keith smiled, watching over Pidge’s shoulder as Shiro chatted with a few other guitarists on the side of the stage. “They were so fucking good.”

 

“Yeah, apparently good enough to send you into a fucking heat!” Pidge snapped, flicking the older Omega's nose. “You need to go home! Allura is outside, she said she can drive us back.”

 

“My car is parked at your place anyway, so I can drop Hunk and Pidge off at home too.” Lance said, hand out to help steady Keith as he swayed uneasily. “Dude, are you there? You're not gonna pass out, are you?”

 

“Here, I'll carry him.” Hunk offered, preparing to lean down and lift up Keith before the Omega placed both hands against his chest and shook his head. “Dude, I really don't think you should be walking around. You look really bad.”

 

“I'm  _ fine.  _ Let's go, I need to lay down.” Keith panted a bit, allowing himself to be walked out with the three others around him to ward off any Alphas with bad intentions. Once in the car, Keith fished out his keys and handed them to Allura before throwing himself in the back.

 

“Good lord, Keith.” Allura said, stunned. “I knew your heats were bad, but this is  _ bad. _ ” She waved a hand in front of her face to get the pheromone-rich scent out of her face, before getting into the car and starting the engine. “Is he buckled in?” She asked after rolling all the windows down.

 

Lance looked back from the passenger seat, watching as Keith struggled to clasp the buckle. “You really went into heat at a concert. Don't Omegas, like, keep track of that shit?” He asked, once Keith finally managed to buckle himself in.

 

“I  _ do.  _ It wasn't supposed to start until next week.” Keith sighed and pushed back his hair off his sweaty forehead. “Okay, I'm good. We can go now.”

 

Allura nodded and pulled out of the parking lot, beeping at kids loitering in the middle of the street before she could start going. “You know, Keith, maybe it was the adrenaline at the concert that caused it to come early. You go to shows pretty often, right? Maybe you should get on some kind of regulator.”

 

“Like birth control?” Keith asked, head leaning on Hunk’s shoulder and eyes closing. “Yeah, I was thinking of that too. This isn't the first time it's happened.”

 

“At least I got to you before some goonie did.” Pidge said. “You're lucky I can pick up on your scent so easily. Not a lot of Omegas go to those concert halls.”

 

“Yeah.” Keith nodded with a tired smile. “Thanks, Pidge.”

 

The rest of the drive went by mostly in silence. Allura turned the music up just loud enough for everyone to hear it before leaving it be. 

 

Once in Keith's driveway, Pidge jumped out of the backseat. “I'm gonna grab Krolia real quick, so she can help him get inside.” A nod from everyone, and Hunk was struggling to unbuckle a half sleeping Keith before helping him out of the car.

 

Krolia came running out in a few seconds with Tex close behind. Pidge regrouped with Hunk, to help steady Keith before his father leaned down to lift him up. “Thank you for getting him back safely.” Krolia smiled. “Tex, take him to his room?”

 

Shifting Keith in his arms, Tex smiled at Krolia before carrying his son inside. Krolia turned back to the others, smile falling a bit. “I know Keith loves music and going to these concerts, but I wish he would be more careful. He shouldn't be going so close to his heat.” 

 

Allura nodded, looking at the others before turning back to Krolia. “I suggested to him that maybe he should get on a birth control to help regulate it. He said it's happened a few times before.”

 

“It has.” Krolia nodded. “Always the responsible one, Allura. Thank you for always helping out when Keith needs it.” 

 

“Oh, it's no problem. Keith is a good friend and I'm happy to help.” The younger Alpha replied, basking in the compliments Krolia gave her. Compliments from one Alpha to another were always considered high praise for Allura. “Lance is going to drop us all off back at home, so we should be heading back. I'm sure Pidge will come check up on him soon.”

 

“You bet I will.” Pidge nodded, pushing herself between Allura and Lance. “If that's okay with you, I mean, Mrs. Kogane.”

 

A light laugh floated from Krolia, along with a nod. “Of course it's fine with me. Come by whenever you like; I'll even make some lemon bars for you and Keith.”

 

“Uh, no fair, I want lemon bars too.” Hunk said in mock offense for not being invited to this snack filled get together. “Can I also get some lemon bars?”

 

“I'll bring one back for you, don't worry.” Pidge grinned. “We've been slacking on our games lately, so I'm gonna camp out at your place soon so we can catch up.”

 

Amongst the chatting, Krolia waved everyone off once they piled into Lance's baby blue car. Once they were gone, she headed back inside and into Keith's room to check on him. He was asleep in only his boxers, and Tex was dabbing at his forehead with a cloth. “Is he well?”

 

“Doin’ fine, hun.” Tex smiled. “Gotta let him rest. I'm sure this week is gonna be hard. It always is when he starts early.” 

 

“I know.” Krolia sighs. “Then, we should head to bed. You know he hates whenever we baby him like this.” She says with a light laugh. “I always tell him that we love to take care of him when he needs us, but that never helps him change his mind. I think he just feels bad for taking up our time.”

 

Tex sat up with a tired groan, walking to Krolia and placing a hand on her waist. “We’ve babied him all his life. You’d think by now he’d be used to it.” He shut the door to Keith’s room softly once they walked out, then followed his wife to their room. 

 

Keith whined as he rolled over in bed, feeling sick and hot. Stupid Alphas, doing things like this to him. He forced himself to open his eyes, seeing only his pitch black room before his phone lit up and threatened to blind him. “Fuck.” He grumbled with annoyance and picked up his phone, turning the brightness all the way down before he put in his password to unlock it. The first thing that popped up on his screen was that picture he had taken of Shiro on stage, looking like he was making love to the music he was playing. 

 

It did strange things to Keith. Hot, wet, and hard things. The Omega breathed out softly as a hand moved down his bare stomach, dipping into his boxers and giving his hardening dick a few gentle tugs. No, this wouldn’t do. His body wanted more than a quick jerk off. Keith tried to stifle a moan as his fingers trailed down his dick, over his balls, and then finally to his asshole. He was dripping with slick, more than usual for his first day of heat. He kept his eyes locked on the picture as two fingers dipped inside his hole with practiced ease. It felt right. His instincts made him want to be filled with Alpha, with a knot, with cum. 

 

He felt a little awful, though. Getting off on a picture of Shiro, a man he had never once met. He didn’t know Keith’s name. He didn’t know anything about Keith. But, that was another part that made Keith feel like it wasn’t  _ that  _ bad to be fingering himself lazily while staring at a photo of Shiro. After all, it felt so fucking good when he pushed against his prostate, and the way Shiro’s face looked like he was moaning in the picture helped paint a very vivid scene in the Omega’s mind. Fucking him slowly after a long concert, taking care of Keith like he deserved. Keith moaned, eyes shutting as he came with little squirts of cum into his boxers; boxers that then we quickly kicked off his legs.

 

Sighing with relief, Keith rolled over to connect his phone to its charger. He stared for a few more moments at the picture, like it was some fine art in a museum. Hell, Shiro was basically a walking art piece, so calling him one wasn’t false by any means. Slowly the phone’s screen went black from idling, and the Omega took that as his cue to let sleep finally take him. In the coming days, he’d get very little relief, so he needed to sleep as much as he could before then.

 

Stupid, sexy Shiro invaded his dreams all night. Keith woke up on soaked sheets.


	2. The Great Descent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Shiro begin the pine-fest.  
> Also, introducing a Pidge/Hunk side ship! (some Allura/Lance will come a little bit later as well) But this won't be too frequent. This fic is going to be mostly Keith and Shiro centric, but to help break it up I feel it's worth adding a few side ships doing things. To add some more depth to everyone, as well.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

Keith’s heat was finally over. Awesome! Now he had to catch up on the hours he missed at work while he was in heat. Not awesome. The Omega dragged his feet as he walked across his bedroom, undressing and throwing his shirt and boxers into his laundry hamper before grabbing a towel, a pair of shorts, and a graphic band t-shirt. Towel around his hips, he made his way to the shower so he could wash off all his slick and sweat that he slept in over night.

 

Dried off and dressed, Keith stripped all his sheets off his bed, replacing them with clean ones, and broke out a scent-masking air freshener. It smelled like cider and cinnamon, and drowned out all the heat smell from his room. He opened all the windows in his room before he headed out into the kitchen to grab himself some breakfast. A note on the fridge from his mom read  _ “I made you waffles, they’re in the fridge” _ , and Keith beamed as he tossed the note and pulled out the stack of waffles to heat up. 

 

He ate happily at the counter, stuffing his face until his dog walked up to beg for a bite, like always. Sirius wagged his tail and gave Keith those huge puppy dog eyes, and how in the world could he say no to that? The Omega tore a piece of waffle off and dropped it, watching as his dog eagerly caught it in his mouth before bounding away. “Silly boy.” Keith giggled.

 

Keith’s phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out to see a text from Pidge.

 

_ From: Pidge  _

_ You didn’t die, right? You’re able to come to work today? _

 

Keith rolled his eyes.  _ Yes, I can come to work today.  _ Send.

 

_ From: Pidge _

_ Good, because I’m sick of Lance complaining about covering your shifts. _

 

That made him laugh. Keith set his fork down and typed back.  _ Serves him right for all those times he made me cover him just so he could suck Allura’s face.  _ Send.

 

Despite the next text coming in, Keith decided he needed to finish eating so he could have some energy at work. Waiting tables for eight hours with nothing in his stomach didn’t appeal to him all that much. So, he stuffed his face for the next ten minutes, set his plate in the sink, and drank two glasses of orange juice before heading back to his room to flop onto his bed, now with fresh sheets.

 

_ From: Pidge _

_ Hunk is working today too. He said he misses you. _

_ Oh, and we have a local band playing. Guess who? _

 

_ You’re fucking kidding. _ Send. Keith scowled at his phone screen. There’s no way it was just a coincidence.

 

_ From: Pidge _

_ Not kidding. Matt asked me when we had live music night, so I told him and they got booked tonight. You better not have another heat. _

 

Rolling his eyes, Keith typed back as loudly as his blunt fingernails would allow him to.  _ That won’t happen. But I’m a little mad you told him that. _

 

_ From: Pidge _

_ Oh whatever. You go see concerts all the time, it was bound to happen again. _

 

_ Fair. Doesn’t make me less mad.  _ Keith sat up and decided to clear his head, now that he knew what kind of night he was about to have. He stared up at old posters that littered his bedroom walls, at paper clipped polaroids he switched out every year. A bookshelf full of yearbooks, vinyls, and old CDs beside his bed. Keith wished he could work somewhere else; a place where he could be himself. 

 

He hated the uniform he wore to work. Black pencil skirt and a white blouse for the Omegas, and even being restricted to wearing a modest heel or plain flats. Keith thought it looked to bland and boring. He liked ripped jeans, fishnets, and leather. Plaid flannels and striped sweaters. Dark nail polish and lipstick. Keith liked wearing his Martens, platforms, and converse. He liked to feel in control of his appearance. 

 

But, sadly, he couldn’t do that at work. So, Keith got off his bed and changed into a pair of panties, pulling on nylons before stepping into his pencil skirt. Next was his blouse, which he tucked into the skirt and then fastened on his clip-on tie and name tag. He sighed, standing in front of the mirror attached to the back of his door. He looked so  _ plain. _ Keith pushed back his hair, pushed it back down, ruffled it up, then sighed and turned from side to side to see if he could do anything to make himself look a little less boring. 

 

Oh! Of course! Keith lit up when he ran back to his dresser to open up his bag of makeup that sat on top of it. A cherry lip gloss would make him look so much better. Slathering it on, Keith smiled at how shiny and full his lips looked. Maybe he could even push it a little further, perhaps with some mascara. Modest, but still flashier than most of the waiters and waitresses. Maybe even a little out of dress code, too, but oh well.

 

Keith smiled brightly, liking this little change in work attire. He headed out of his room, slipped on his work shoes, gave the dog a quick pet, and then out to his car to head to work. He sang along to each song that played off the CD in his radio, in an attempt to make his day a bit brighter before he had to spend his whole evening waiting tables for rude, drunk customers. At least the drive there was fairly short, and got there a few minutes before noon, when his shift started.

 

He hurried past the customers and the bar to reach the back room so he could clock in and put his phone in his locker. Keith sighed, turning to wave at Pidge as she walked back with a tray of empty cups. “Busy already, I see?”

 

“More like we just have a huge group. It’s actually been pretty slow, for a Friday.” Pidge shrugged as she placed the cups into the sink to be washed, then folded her tray under her arm. “Feeling better? I stopped by a few days ago, but your mom told me you weren’t doing too hot so I didn’t come inside.” She explained, walking out into the kitchen with the taller Omega behind her.

 

“Yeah, it was bad.” Keith laughed. “But I am feeling a lot better. Not queasy or anything, and I ate a huge stack of waffles today, so I’m gonna survive tonight. I hope.”

 

“You better! I hate covering your shifts!” Lance yelled from where he stood at the counter, putting a few plates on his tray to take out. “You work such long hours, dude!” 

 

“Oh boo hoo.” Keith rolled his eyes and grabbed a half apron to tie around his hips, then a clean tray to put under his arm. “I’d rather work eight or ten hours instead of the five or six you get. At least I  _ make  _ money, and I don’t need to flirt to get tips.”

 

“You only get tips because you’re an Omega and everyone thinks you’re hot.” Lance gave a pout before he turned, carrying the tray out the door and into the dining area of the little bar restaurant. 

 

Smirking, Keith looked back at Pidge as she was checking her notepad. “Which section am I in today?” He asked.

 

“Section three. You’ll be near the stage, where Shiro’s gonna be in a few hours.” She grinned back up at him, before grabbing two plates to set on her tray. “Good luck, buck-o. By the way, I’m loving the lip gloss.” Pidge teased before heading out.

 

Keith’s smirk dropped and he sighed, looking at his feet. Curse the universe for forcing Shiro into his life at such a weird time. He took a deep breath to help compose himself before heading back out, spotting a couple of men sitting down at his section and walking over. “Hello, my name is Keith and I’ll be your waiter today.” He said, cheerily. “Can I get you started on some drinks today?” He scribbled down the orders, glancing over IDs for the alcoholic beverages, and then headed off to retrieve them. 

 

The next few hours were hectic. Lunch and dinner started and ended a lot faster than Keith had expected, but it helped the time go by. Keith’s shift began at noon, and it was already after six by the time the dinner rush had finally began to slow down. The Omega took a much needed sip of his water in the back, leaning against a counter with Pidge and Lance. 

 

“Worst dinner  _ ever. _ Hands down. I got like, no tips.” Lance complained. 

 

“Maybe if you delivered their food, I dunno,  _ on time _ , that would help.” Pidge glared. “Just my opinion, though.”

 

“Guys, don’t start this.” Hunk sighed as he rubbed a bandaid over his hand. “We got so busy I cut my hands a few times while trying to get everything made fast… at least you don’t have to deal with being back here, in a hot kitchen in the middle of summer.” The Beta said.

 

“That’s true.” Keith nodded. “Thank you for doing the lord’s work and suffering back here so we don’t have to.” He gave a quick mock-salute before walking back to the door. “Okay, I need to go check up. Don’t hurt yourself, Hunk.”

 

“Kinda too late.” Pidge said, watching Lance peel off one of the bandaids to look at a cut on Hunk’s hand.

 

Chuckling, Keith left the three of them and began to sweetly ask customers about refills, grabbing dirty dishes to bring them to the dishwasher, or quickly wiping down a table. A few minutes of doing that and imagining how close his shift was to being over, Keith saw him. Shiro. Sitting down on a little stool on the tiny stage near the bar. Matt was behind him on a drumset owned by the restaurant, and he struggled to make himself hit such an old set. Shiro was tuning an acoustic guitar, and the bassist from the concert last week was nowhere to be seen. 

 

Shiro turned, looking at Matt before he reached up to turn on the mic and do a sound test before talking into it. “Hey there everyone, my name is Shiro. My pal, Matt, and I are gonna play some tunes for you tonight. Hope you all enjoy.” Simple and sweet, and in a few moments Shiro was gently strumming his guitar and tapping his foot on the stage to the beat Matt set.

 

Keith stared for a moment, watching the graceful way Shiro’s fingers glided over the strings. It was a slow song, no vocals or anything to accompany it, but the Omega still found himself falling in love with the sound. He turned before he got too absorbed, finishing cleaning off a table before rushing to the back.

 

“Shiro is here, playing music, and I feel like a creep.” Keith said to Pidge the second he walked back to the kitchen.

 

“Staring again?” Lance asked.

 

“When is he not staring at Shiro?” Pidge cackled. “I meant to tell you that Matt texted me when they got here. They’re probably gonna have a few drinks after they play, so you better enjoy it while it lasts.” She said.

 

“I actually hate you.” Keith frowned deeply, setting the dirty rag in his hand into a basket before grabbing a clean one. “You better be nearby in case something weird happens. I am holding you personally responsible for most of the problems I’ve had involving Shiro.”

 

Pidge placed a hand to her chest, looking comically taken aback. “ _ Me? _ Whatever for?” She asked, trying and failing to not giggle.

 

“By not telling me about Shiro being in the same building as me until I’m already there,  _ twice!” _ Keith snapped back and began to push Pidge out the door. “Come on! You’ve been standing back here long enough!” Once back out into the dining area, Keith immediately felt himself calm when he heard the sound of the guitar. It pulled a dreamy sigh out of him, and the Omega looked over Pidge’s shoulder to stare lovingly at Shiro.

 

“I’m gonna tell Matt that you’re in love with Shiro if you don’t stop that right now.” Pidge warned while tugging Keith fully out the doorway. 

 

“If you do, I might have to fight with you, physically.” Keith shot back, voice light as he watched Shiro. “You did all of this to yourself. I didn’t have any time to prepare.” He walked away from Pidge to begin busying himself with his tables, taking new orders, and collecting tips left for him; all while being entranced by the sound of Shiro’s guitar. 

 

A good half an hour went by before Shiro and Matt were done playing. Keith missed the sound the second it stopped, and then another small group got up to start playing their own music. Keith watched as Shiro sat down at a table close to the corner of the restaurant, in the Omega’s section. Awesome. Now he had to interact with him.

 

Keith allowed himself a moment in the back to regain some composure before finally deciding to brave the storm that was his heart after hearing Shiro’s voice. He walked up, legs like jello, and sat two menus down in front of the Alpha and Beta. “Good evening, my name is Keith and I’ll be your server today.” He started, trying to avoid looking at Shiro and instead at Matt. “Can I start you two off with a drink?”

 

“A cider sounds pretty good.” Shiro said as he glanced over the back of the menu. “Whatever one you guys have on tap, I’m not too picky.” He said, smiling charmingly at Keith.

 

“I’ll have a water.” Matt said. “One of us needs to drive home sober.” He laughed, nudging Shiro before looking back up at Keith. “Is Katie working right now? I’m her brother. She texted me earlier so I assumed she was still here.”

 

“Oh, yeah.” Keith nodded, pursing his lips as he turned to wave her over. “I’ve been friends with her for years, so she’s told me about you a few times. I went to that concert you guys played last week, too. You were really good.” Against his better judgment, Keith at least wanted to let them know about how he enjoyed their music. Mostly Shiro, but Keith still couldn’t bring himself to look at him for longer than a few seconds.

 

“That’s why you looked familiar!” Shiro grinned, hands on the table as he leaned in a bit. “You were standing in the front row! I’m glad you liked it. It was our first ever concert.” The Alpha grabbed Keith’s attention when he spoke, and it made him blush and shift from one foot to the other as he tried not to get  _ too  _ sucked into his beautiful, perfect face.

 

“I was, yeah.” Keith nodded, feeling a nervous giggle come out as he took a step back. “I’ll go grab your drinks now. Pid- uh, Katie should be right over when she’s done at her table.” He walked away quickly to the back, hand running over his face before grabbing a glass of water and then filling another glass with whatever cider they had. He felt like a  _ mess. _

 

Steeling himself once more, Keith carried both drinks out with a smile and perked up a little when he spotted Pidge chatting with her brother. He set the glasses down and pulled out his notebook, prepared to ask if they’d like any appetizers, before Shiro leaned over the table again. “So, which song was your favorite at the show?” He asked Keith, chin in his palm.

 

Keith felt himself melt under Shiro’s gaze, and then heard Pidge laugh softly beside him. “I, um, I really liked all of them. If I had to pick a favorite, maybe the third song? To The Moon?” He answered with a nod, confident in his choice. “It felt really raw and emotional.”

 

Nodding, Shiro sat back and took a long sip of his drink. “That’s Matt and Lotor’s favorite too.” He smiled. “We’re working on getting an album out soon, so hopefully in a few shows we can start selling them. There’s some way better ones we’ve made, I promise.” He added with a chuckle.

 

“I need to get back to my tables now.” Pidge said, patting Keith’s back. “Have fun. I’ll stop back over in a bit, Matt.” She hurried off without much else, leaving Keith alone.

 

“So, any appetizers to start off with? Or are you both ready to order?” The Omega asked, looking between them with his pen pressed against the notebook in his hand. 

 

“I want some spinach dip and chips.” Matt said as he flipped the pages. “That’s good for, what, a couple people? Let’s do that and then we can think about what else we want.” 

 

“I already know what I want, though.” Shiro looked up from his menu to smile nicely at Keith. “Steak, medium rare, with a side of fries.” 

 

“Oh, that sounds great. Can I get the same thing, except my steak medium well?” Matt asked. “And the dip still. I  _ really  _ want some spinach dip.”

 

Nodding Keith happily wrote everything down. “Wonderful. I’ll go put your order in and bring your appetizer out shortly.” He said, walking away when Shiro began to question Matt on why he would ever order any sort of steak medium  _ well. _

 

“Not in heat yet? That’s surprising.” Pidge smiled devilishly at Keith when he walked to the back to put in the orders. She piled three plates onto her tray, lifting it up and running out before Keith could say anything back to her.

 

“I saw you were chatting with Shiro.” Lance wiggled an eyebrow at Keith while refilling a few drinks. “How’d it go? Are you getting married tomorrow?”

 

“Oh. My.  _ God.  _ Lance.” Keith huffed, fighting every urge to not squeeze his notebook in his hand. “You’re not allowed to make fun of me for having a crush on Shiro. You literally stalked Allura’s instagram for a year before you even had the balls to  _ talk to her. _ ” He snapped, pointing a finger at him. 

 

“Yeah, but I actually got her in the end, so I think I’m allowed to tease a little bit.” Lance laughed before carrying out his drinks. 

 

“Dip is ready.” Hunk said, sliding it over with a ton of salty tortilla chips surrounding the bowl. “Don’t get so worked up over Lance and Pidge, man. They’ve been doing this for years, and I don’t think they’ll stop any time soon.” He laughed. “Just make the best of it and flirt it up a little. Alphas are simple creatures; he’ll be all yours in no time.”

 

Keith rolled with eyes with a small smile, blushing a bit as he moved the plate onto his tray. “I don’t think he’ll be into me, though. I’m fine just listening to his music.” 

 

“You say that, but you’ve also gone into heat twice because of him.” Hunk added while putting two steaks on the stove. “I think you can get pretty far if you try hard enough. But, I don’t think you should push yourself if you don’t think you’re ready.”

 

“How did we manage to have a good friend like you again?” Keith asked, lifting the tray up. “Thanks, though. I’ll be back in a few minutes to check on the food.” Backing out of the kitchen, Keith made his way back over to Shiro and Matt’s table to deliver them their dip and chips. “Here you guys go. Anything else at all?”

 

“I think Shiro may need a refill soon.” Matt said, looking over at the half empty glass. “He drinks like a fish.” 

 

Nodding, Keith looked to Shiro with a small smile. “If you like, I can come back after checking on my other tables and refill it?” He offered, and the smile he got from the Alpha was so mesmerizing, it made Keith feel like his knees turned into pudding.

 

“Sounds good to me, hun.” Shiro said, eyes never leaving Keith’s when he spoke to him. “I was wondering, though, if you were planning on coming to our next concert. It’s in a couple days, at the same venue.” 

 

“Oh, well…” Keith blushed and pushed back a strand of his hair. “I’m sure I’ll be able to make it. I go to concerts there pretty often.” He said. “I’ll look on their website and make sure I can make it. I really would love to see your band perform again.” He turned a bit once Shiro smiled again, his cheeks flushing a bit as well. “I’ll be back in a moment, though. Gotta tend to the other customers.”

 

His head felt like it was melting as he caught up on his tables, getting refills, and cleaning. Keith thanked the lord that soon his shift was over. Only another half an hour later and he would be heading home to prepare an outfit for the concert coming up. Little goals, he told himself as he walked back up to Shiro, placing a full glass of cider in front of him. 

 

Pidge bounded over with a smile, bumping her hip into Keith’s. “My section is all empty now, so I can actually chat a bit longer.”

 

“Ugh, lucky. There’s still like, five people at least in mine.” Keith complained.

 

“Katie, I was wondering, but how come I never met Keith before?” Matt asked. “He said he was friends with you for a few years, but I never saw him before.”

 

“Oh, that’s because his mom didn’t ever let him sleep over at anyone’s place back in high school.” Pidge answered. “Also, the few times he  _ did _ come to my place, you were at work or at Shiro’s house.”

 

“Fair. That actually makes a lot of sense.” Matt said. “Why no sleepovers?”

 

“Why are you hitting on him?” Pidge interrupted Keith before he could even answer.

 

“I’m not!” Matt defended.

 

“Oh, you  _ so _ are!” 

 

Keith stared for a moment, eyes darting between Matt and Pidge as they continued to bicker. “I don’t mind telling him, Pidge. I get thrown into heat easily, so my mom never wanted me to be somewhere that she couldn’t keep an eye on me.”

 

“Yeah, but you still snuck out and went to concerts every night despite that.” Laughing, Pidge gently elbowed Keith’s arm before stopping and looking at Shiro for a moment. “Good thing you have me, Hunk, and Lance to go with you now.” 

 

Raising an eyebrow at Pidge’s pause, Keith followed her gaze to Shiro, who was staring at Keith with something dark in his eyes. The second Keith noticed, however, the Alpha turned and pounded half his glass. “I guess so, yeah.” Keith nodded. “Do you mind helping me with my section, since yours is empty?” He asked, trying to move on from that deeply sexual stare he got.

 

“Sure, I don’t mind.” Pidge seemed to pick up on the cue, thank god, and followed him around to help where it was needed. “I think he might be into you.” She whispered once they were a few tables away. “You did see how he looked at you, right?”

 

“I did.” Keith nodded, speaking equally quiet. “I don’t know. Alphas just naturally like anything in heat, so maybe it was more of an instinctual reaction than anything else.” 

 

“I can’t believe you’re choosing to believe it isn’t him being super into you.” Pidge scoffed as she busily wiped a table down. “He’s staring at you, right now. Don’t turn around.” 

 

Keith froze for a second, stunned, before he filled up his tray with dirty dishes. A deep flush worked its way over his cheeks, and  _ fuck _ he could feel that hot stare burning into his skin. “Is he still looking?” He asked.

 

“Yeah.” Pidge said, glancing out of the corner of her eye. “My god, I think he wants to fuck you.”

 

“Shut up…!” Keith hissed between his teeth, and he swore his blush was spreading over his entire body. “I need to grab their food, shit. I almost forgot about it.” He hastily went back to the kitchen, dumping his dished into the sink before grabbing the still hot food. “Sorry, Hunk! I got caught up in cleaning!”

 

“ _ And  _ in talking to Shiro.” Lance grinned from where he was standing, zipping up his hoodie. “I can literally feel the sexual tension from back here. Thank god my shift is over, though.”

 

“Lance, I don’t have time for you to be teasing me right now. Go ask Allura for nudes, or something.” Keith rolled his eyes and rushed back out to the dining room, hurriedly setting the plates on the table. “I’m so sorry about the wait on these!” He apologized, before rushing into the kitchen again to grab yet another refill for Matt and Shiro.

 

“Dude, calm down.” Pidge walked up beside him and cooed softly; something that Omegas always did to help relax someone. “You’re leaving soon. You won’t have to stress out about Shiro undressing you with his eyes after that.”

 

Keith turned, looking Pidge in the eyes. “The problem is that I really,  _ really  _ like it, though!” He whined, and rubbed both hands over his face. “Like when he looked at me during the concert! That sent me into heat!” Taking a few deep breaths, Keith calmed himself as best he could. “Not that I’m going into heat again. That won’t happen again until next month. But, I feel like I’m  _ melting.” _

 

“You really have it bad, huh?” Pidge smiled. “Go take their drinks out and I’ll bring them their bill. Sound good? That way you can clock out right at eight.”

 

“Thanks, Pidge.” The Omega smiled and took a few more calming breaths before heading back out, cold drinks in each hand. “Sorry again about that. How is everything?” He asked once he reached the table, seeing Shiro’s plate already mostly cleaned off and Matt’s not too far behind.

 

“Fucking incredible.” Shiro said around a mouthful of juicy steak. “Oh, thanks for the refill.” He said, finishing the last of his second drink before moving onto the new one.

 

“Tell Hunk I said he needs to be my private chef.” Matt said while stuffing fries in his mouth. 

 

“I’ll pass it onto him.” Keith chuckled, and felt a small shiver when he looked back at Shiro, who paused eating to chug down his drink. Watching his Adam’s apple bob up and down got to Keith in way it probably shouldn’t. “My shift is almost over, so Pidge said she’ll bring you guys your check. Thank you so much for stopping in, and… I hope I can make it to your next concert.” He directed that last statement at Shiro, braving to give him direct eye contact before heading over to catch up on his tables.

 

Once it hit eight, Keith couldn’t have clocked out any faster. He pulled out his tips and shoved the stack into his wallet before letting himself lean against the lockers. “Fuck.” He hissed, feeling warmth in his stomach. Stupid, sexy Shiro.

 

“Tips from Matt and Shiro.” Pidge slapped a twenty dollar bill against the taller Omega’s chest. “Yeah, he wants your ass.”

 

Keith stared at the bill, quickly tucking it into his wallet with the rest. “I still don’t think he does.”

 

“Yeah, well, no one ever claimed you were smart.” Pidge flicked Keith in the nose before she pulled on her green hoodie, backpack, and replaced her work heels with a pair of Vans. “Joking! You’re smart in your own stupid way. Like Lance.”

 

“You wound me. Comparing me to Lance is probably the biggest insult I have ever gotten.” Keith laughed, exiting out the back room once Hunk rejoined them. “Hey, Pidge’s brother wants you to be his personal chef.”

 

“He tells me that more often than you might think.” Hunk said with a shrug. “Closing crew just got here, so we can head back. Wanna play some video games with me and Pidge tonight?” He asked. “We don’t have to be in until noon tomorrow anyway.”

 

Pidge glanced up at Hunk with a raised eyebrow before she followed Keith out into the lobby, then out of the building entirely. “We were gonna play some Mario Kart, maybe some Smash too.”

 

“Nah, I think I’ll pass. My mom and dad have been working late shifts recently so I need to watch the dog.” Keith said. “You could come to my place, but I can’t guarantee I’ll be too much fun. I’ll probably fall asleep watching Netflix on the couch.”

 

The three stopped right  where their cars were parked, before Pidge shrugged. “I wouldn’t want to keep you up if you’re tired. We can always game on a night where Lance is free too.” She suggested. “I can get Matt to buy us drinks, and we can play drinking games all night.”

 

“Ooh, I like that. I’ll pitch in a bit for it too.” Keith nodded with a smile. “Okay, well I’m gonna head out. Happy gaming, you two.” He hopped in his car with a tired groan, feet aching before pulling out of the parking lot.

 

Pidge turned to Hunk once she hopped into the passenger seat, frowning. “I can’t believe you tried to get Keith to come over. We were going to have a night in,  _ alone, _ remember?” 

 

“Yeah, I know, but Keith was like, really freaking out today.” Hunk replied while backing out. “Katie, we always hang out. You’re literally always at my place, so why are you so upset?” The Beta asked, trying to sound as empathetic as possible. Little malice ever filled Hunk’s tone, and he never had bad intentions.

 

“Please don’t pull the Katie thing out. You always do that when we argue.” Pidge huffed.

 

“I mean, technically this isn’t an argument.” Hunk smirked. “Just a little miscommunication. Anyway, c’mon. Tell me.”

 

Pidge puffed out her cheeks and crossed her legs with a sigh. “It’s just…! Lately it’s been rough. My parents want me to go to a different college out of state, they’ve been pressuring me a lot do shoot higher, and… I dunno. I’ve been stressed out.” She said. “It doesn’t help that I can’t tell my parents we’re dating. I can’t tell  _ anyone  _ because of this stupid societal norm of Omegas only dating Alphas.”

 

“I know our friends wouldn’t mind.” Hunk said, placing a hand on Pidge’s leg comfortingly. “Lance is a Beta, and Allura is an Alpha. I think our circle is the last to judge us.” He gently rubbed his thumb against her thigh, feeling tension leave her body as he did. “Plus, we’re all adults. You can make your own choices. I moved out when I turned eighteen because I wanted that freedom. My parents didn’t want me to, but they couldn’t make me  _ not. _ Your parents can’t make you do anything either.”

 

Pidge relaxed herself, hand moving to hold Hunk’s as it stayed resting on her thigh. “Yeah. You’re right. I really shouldn’t be so worried, but… I don’t know, Hunk. It’s been a secret for so long at this point, that I feel like I can’t say anything now.” She pursed her lips and sank back into the seat. “We never get to share my heat, either. I dunno. I wish we could have that closeness, but I get holed up in my house and my mom watches me like hawk,”

 

Hunk stayed quiet for a moment, stopping at several red lights before he spoke up again. “Why don’t you just move in with me?” He asked. “If your parents don’t know we’re together, maybe they won’t care and think I’m just a pack friend, or something.”

 

“You’re really asking me to move in?” Pidge stared at the Beta, wide eyed and jaw dropped. “Hunk, that’s… is that okay? I mean, if you brought it up, then it should be okay, but I need to make sure before I say yes.”

 

“I want you to move in with me.” Hunk said. “I, um… wow, this is hard.” He laughed, pulling into his apartment’s driveway. “Okay. Pidge.  _ Katie.” _ He started, turning to look at her properly. “I love you. A lot. I have for a long time and I think this is the right move for us.”

 

“Was that pun intended?” Pidge asked with a giant smile.

 

“You bet your ass it was.”

 

“God. I love you, too.” Pidge couldn’t help her joyous giggle, leaning over the center console to place a kiss on Hunk’s lips. “What are we having for dinner, love?”

 

“For me? A big slice of you.” Hunk laughed and followed the Omega out of the car and to the door of his apartment. “You can have some soup or something. I’m not too worried about you.” He laughed when Pidge eagerly pushed him inside, only to then lift her up and carry her to the couch.


	3. The City Ignites

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter contains some mention of self harm and the use of drugs (just weed). Please be aware before you go into this chapter, if either of those things make you uncomfortable.
> 
> Also, now that Cosmo is the canon wolf name, from now on i'll be calling him that. i wont go back to edit his name in older chapters, so i'm sorry if the sudden change is a little weird!

 

When Keith arrived home, he flopped onto the couch and took out his phone to start looking up shows being held at the local venue for the week. He kicked off his heels and sighed as the page loaded. Sure enough, on Wednesday night, The Black Paladins were playing. A weird day for a show, but also, Keith never worked on Wednesdays. It was perfect. He could spent the entire morning preparing himself to be in Shiro's presence once more.

 

Keith pet his dog as he laid his head on the Omega's lap, tail wagging. “Okay, I need to get out of this fucking skirt.” Keith groaned before finally getting up and heading to his bedroom. He changed into a pair of flannel pajama pants and a tank top, hands running over his stomach as it growled. He made his way to the kitchen, seeing his parents hadn't been home since there were no leftovers to be seen at all.

 

“Well, let's hope we've got some instant ramen. Something I can't burn.” Keith said to the dog who sat at his side, while rifling through the pantry until he found a pack. He quickly made himself a bowl, stirring in the flavor packet before going back to his room and sitting at his desk. “Cosmo!” He called, and the dog happily bounded into his bedroom. “You wanna watch some Netflix with me?” He asked, knowing full well that dogs don't know what movies are  _ or _ what Keith was saying to him. All he did was sit there, wagging his tail.

 

Keith opened up his laptop and went to Netflix, pulling up the first movie that looked interesting. Thankfully it wasn't bad, but he did have some complaints by the time it was over. Bowl empty and movie finished, Keith closed his laptop with a yawn and decided he could just take the bowl out to the kitchen in the morning. He turned off his light and pet Cosmo as he got into bed with him, curling up beside Keith as they slept.

 

*

*

*

*

Keith woke up Wednesday morning with a loud yawn before he grabbed his phone, unlocking it to read the texts he had gotten over night. One from Lance, two from Hunk, and several from Pidge. He opened Pidge’s texts first, sleepily reading over them

 

_ From: Pidge _

_ Guess what? Matt said he would buy us tickets for the show tonight. Something about Shiro having the idea. _

_ Also, I think this a clear sign that he’s into you. You need to get on that dick, Keith!! _

_ I know you like to sleep in but don’t forget you have to pick me up from work today if you still want me to go to the concert with you. Hunk is here all night so he can’t drive me. _

 

Humming in thought, Keith looked at the time before he texted her back.  _ Can do. Just got up. Is Lance working?  _ Sending the text, Keith got up and stretched his back out before walking out of his bedroom with Cosmo bounding out before him. “Morning, mom.” The Omega greeted as he sat down at the table. “Smells good.”

 

“I made an omelette. I figured you’d be waking up around now.” Krolia smiled as she flipped it in the pan, before moving it to a plate. “Looks like you got up just in time, too. So, what do you have planned today?” She asked as she sat down across from Keith, grabbing herself an apple from the decorative bowl in the middle of the table after sliding the plate to her son.

 

Keith took a bite of his omelette before he considered answering, humming happily as he chewed it. The only person who could rival Hunk’s incredible cooking was Keith’s mother. “I’m going to a concert with Pidge, and probably Lance if he’s free. Hunk is at work all night.” He said, before going back to dig into his breakfast.

 

Krolia nodded, speaking only after she finished chewing a bite of her apple. “Be careful, Keith. I don’t mind you doing what you want since you’re an adult, but I still worry.” She started. “You’ve come home in heat so many times, and… I don’t know. I know it’s too soon to happen again, but I still get worried.”

 

“I know, mom.” Keith smiled at her, warmly. “I try to be careful. Pidge can sense it before any Betas or Alphas, so she’ll keep an eye on me.” He knew that his mother worried, and he respected her feelings regarding his safety. Keith did, however, wish she trusted him enough to not  _ have  _ to worry about it. “I thought a bit about what Allura said. About getting on some heat regulators.”

 

“I think it would be good for you.” Krolia nodded. “A regulator, or even birth control, would be helpful. I know you love to go out with your friends and all that, so it would just be better for you in the long run.” 

 

“I can call the doctor’s office when I’m done eating, and I’ll make an appointment.” Keith said. “I don’t want you or dad to worry about me so much.”

 

“We’ll always worry, Keith. That’s just what parents do.” Krolia said after finishing her apple and getting up to throw it away. “I need to head out to run some errands before work, so I hope you have fun at your concert. Tell Pidge I said hi, and also that I’m buying stuff to make those lemon bars I promised her.”

 

“Will do, mom.” Keith smiled and picked up his phone once it vibrated. He waved to Krolia as she walked out the door before opening the text he had gotten.

 

_ From: Pidge _

_ Lance said he and Allura have a hot date tonight or something. Looks like it’s just me and you today. _

 

_ That’s fine. _ Keith texted back quickly.  _ Looks like he doesn’t get lemon bars. My mom is buying stuff to make them tonight. Wanna sleep over?  _ Sent. Keith cleaned off his plate once finished with his omelette, then made his way back to his bedroom while reading over yet another new text.

 

_ From: Pidge _

_ Ha! Now I get to rub it in his face! I am gonna steal some to give to Hunk, though. He’d probably cry if I didn’t. _

 

_ You’ve really been talking about Hunk a lot lately.  _ Keith sent it, then thought better and added another.  _ I mean, you always hang out so naturally you’d talk about him a lot. I just noticed it’s been more frequent than usual. _ After sending the last text, Keith noticed how it took Pidge an unusually long time to reply.. He didn’t insult her, did he? Keith was in the middle of asking if he had, when a new message showed up on his screen.

 

_ From: Pidge _

_ Well, I guess it’s kind of weird I talk about him a lot. We haven’t told anyone yet, but Hunk and I are actually dating _

 

Keith stared at the text, jaw dropping and eyes wide in disbelief.  _ YOU’RE DATING HUNK???? _ He texted back in his surprise-fueled stupor.  _ It isn’t bad!!!! That text made it sound bad!! I’m so happy for you!!!!! When and how?? Tell me, Pidge!!!!!! _ He demanded as loud as he could through text format, impatiently staring at his phone.

 

_ From: Pidge _

_ Like, last year or something _

 

_ YOU DON’T REMEMBER??  _ Keith texted back, furiously

 

_ From: Pidge _

_ LOOK A LOT WAS HAPPENING AT THE TIME, DUDE _

_ It was one of the nights we were all drinking and playing video games. Lance took you and Allura home but I slept over and stuff happened. Then it kept happening and now I love him and he asked me to move in with him the other day _

 

Keith was completely dumbfounded. He thought, for sure, that Pidge would be the last of the group to even consider dating. She was always a hermit, extremely introverted, and only ever went out when Keith dragged the Omega out to do things with him. Though, thinking about it that way, it made a lot of sense that Pidge would date someone in their circle. Lance was too flirtatious and in love with Allura to like Pidge that way, but Hunk was arguable the one closest to her, right after Keith. Omegas had to stick together.

 

_ From: Pidge _

_ You okay Keith?  _

_ Keeeeeeeeith? _

_ Keef keef keeef keeeeef _

 

_ It’s just very weird to know. _ Keith replied after a moment.  _ I had to let it sink in for a second but I’m so happy for you and this makes so much sense. Am I a bad friend for not noticing?  _

 

_ From: Pidge _

_ No you’re an awesome friend, Keith. Hunk and I agreed to keep it quiet because I didn’t want my parents to somehow find out. I know none of our friends would tell, but I still worried. I trust you with this information though _

_ Also, I think Hunk in gonna tell Lance eventually because I refuse to deal with that. He’s almost as protective as my brother _

 

Keith chuckled and glanced at the time on his phone, seeing that it was already after noon.  _ Yeah Lance is a handful. I think Allura also instilled a lot of Alpha habits into him.  _ He sent it and immediately got back up from his bed, wandering to his closet to pull a few things out.  _ Wanna help me decide on an outfit? _ Sent.

 

The Omega laid out a black mesh crop-top over a tank top of the same color, then a pair of ripped up jeans under it. Beside those, he put a pair of blue denim shorts. Keith took a quick picture and sent it to Pidge, who replied almost immediately.

 

_ From: Pidge _

_ Love it. Also, go with the shorts. Gotta let Shiro know you’re horny for it _

 

_ Pidge, please. _ Keith laughed.  _ I was gonna pull more out, but I really like it. I’ll just keep it simple and wear it. _ Sent. He tossed his jeans back in the closet before he grabbed a towel and began making his way to the shower. Only a few more hours before he had to pick up Pidge, and then soon after that they’d be off to the concert.

Keith took his time in the shower, scrubbing his skin and deep conditioning his hair to make sure it was as soft and silky as possible. He smelled like pomegranates by the time he was done, and he stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom as he turned side to side to get a look at his body. Keith thought wearing the shorts like Pidge suggested was a good call, because they would easily show off his thighs and hips. He’d noticed, since graduating, that his metabolism wasn’t what it was when he was in high school. He used to be able to eat whatever he liked and not gain a single pound, but now, everything he ate went to his thighs.

 

He was still slim, with very little weight to him, but Keith had noticed the changes. His body was young and fertile, and as an Omega, his body was naturally trying to prepare him for having children. Even Pidge’s body had begun to change and fill out a little more. The Omega ran his hands over the swell of his hips, finding he liked the way he was filling out. So, Keith got to dressing himself in black panties and the outfit he had set out earlier. He loved how the materials hugged his body, and the only thing left to do was add a bit of makeup.

 

Keith put a very small, yet sharp, wing of eyeliner on each lid before he coated on some mascara. Pidge’s comment about liking the red lipgloss the other day had Keith contemplating on if he should wear it to the concert. He chanced it, and slapping on a healthy coat of it before setting it back in his makeup bag. The Omega felt good about himself, about how he looked. His parents and friends always made sure he felt content with how he looked and with who he was. He small smile faltered for a minute as his hands ran over his thighs, right below the cuffs of his shorts. There, laid a few small scars that had lightened considerably over the years. 

 

They reminded him of a time when Keith felt helpless, pointless, and useless. Being bullied mercilessly in both middle school and high school led him to take drastic, self destructive actions against himself. He remembered how sad his parents were when he told them about it when they discovered bloodied pants and boxers in the laundry. They had never been mad with him over it. All they wanted to do was support and love him and find out how to help. Keith felt some tears well up in his eyes, but he blinked them away so as to not ruin his makeup. Deep breaths calmed him down, and Keith smiled into the mirror. He was better than the scars. He was going places. Keith was happy. Keith loved himself, was proud of himself.

 

He grabbed his phone and noticed a new text from Pidge, seeing how much time had gone by while he was showering. She was asking if he was on his way, so Keith replied a quick  _ leaving now _ before putting on his boots and rushing out the door. The Omega made quick work of getting to the restaurant, seeing Pidge outside with her work shoes in hand and a casual pair of jeans with green tank top on. She threw her bag and shoes into the backseat of Keith’s car before she got in the passenger side. “Dude, took you long enough.” She frowned.

 

“Beauty takes time, sweetie.” Keith smiled as he pulled out of the parking lot. “So, wanna grab some food? Concerts aren’t even starting for a few more hours, and it’ll take time to get downtown anyways.” He said, already driving toward the closest fast food joint. 

 

“Yeah! I need something that isn’t work food for once.” Pidge smiled and pulled out her wallet. “Where are we stopping? I hope it’s Wendy’s because I want a frostie.” She said happily. 

 

“When is it  _ not  _ Wendy’s?” Keith pulled into the drive thru once they got to the building, pulling up and rolling down his window. He ordered his food, then Pidge’s, before pulling up to the window and getting their sweet, glorious burgers and frosties. “Feed me a fry while I drive.” He told Pidge, heading back down the street and. 

 

Doing as instructed, Pidge fed one fry to Keith every couple of minutes. “Are we going to eat by the lighthouse?” She asked, feeding him another one. “Did you know apparently that’s a place where people fuck at night? Lance told me. I guess he and Allura went there a few days ago and there was like three or four cars there with people doing it.” 

 

“That doesn’t surprise me even a little bit.” Keith said, taking a back road down to the beach. “Also, yes, we’re going to the lighthouse. We always eat fast food there. It’s like, friendship tradition for us.”

 

“Truer words, my good man.” Pidge smiled and fed him another fry. “I also brought us some of that dank. Hid it in my backpack during my shift since I figured I owed you an apology for the unlucky encounters you’ve had with Shiro, which in my opinion, weren’t as bad as you think they were.” She rambled, reaching to the backseat and grabbing her backpack, opening up a side pouch with a bundled up plastic bag and multicolored pipe. 

 

Grinning, Keith turned into the empty lighthouse and parked before he grabbed his bag of food. “Well? Are you gonna start?” He asked, pointing at the pipe. “I’d like to smoke,  _ then _ eat, preferably.” The Omega watched and waited patiently for Pidge to pack the bowl and light it up, inhaling deeply before passing it to Keith, holding the smoke before exhaling it with a soft cough. “Nice, that was a long one.” 

 

“Thanks, I’ve been practicing.” She coughed a few more times before starting to eat her fries. “Man, I wish we smoked before we picked up some food.” Pidge watched as Keith took a long drag, holding, and exhaling through his nose. “You remind me of a dragon when you do that.” She laughed as she stuffed more fries in her mouth.

 

“Rawr.” Keith said as he set the pipe on the center console. “So, why’d your brother offer to pay for us to get in?” He asked, unwrapping his burger and biting into it. 

 

“Shiro brought it up, remember?” Pidge said around her fries, stopping to light up her bowl one more time. “Because he’s into you, remember?” 

 

“Pidge…” Keith sighed and took a few more bites of his burger before taking the pipe back. “It isn’t that I think there’s zero possibility of him liking me, okay? I just think it’s highly unlikely.” He inhaled the smoke deeply before sighing it out and passing it back to Pidge. “And, I dunno, he’s gotta have people he’s already fucking with, you know?” He said before taking a few more bites of his fries. Pidge nodded beside him as she moved from her fries to her frostie. “There is no way he isn’t having sex with any Omega who shows him that they’re interested. I don’t know if I’d want to just be a one night stand for him to forget about a week later.”

 

“Keith, listen.” Pidge started and stuck the spoon for her frostie back in the cup. “Shiro would be  _ lucky _ to get into your pants. If he only wants to bang one out, then he isn’t worth it. You can do better than a wannabe rockstar.” She said, confidently, as she kept her eyes on her fellow Omega. “You deserve more than he can probably offer.”

 

Smiling bashfully, Keith pushed back some of his hair and blushed. “Fuck you, for being the greatest friend I could have ever asked for.” He laughed. “You’re right. Fuck it, I’m gonna do what I want and try to snag him, Pidge. If it doesn’t work out, oh well, he’s just an Alpha.” The Omega spoke resolutely, before he finished off his burger. “I’m gonna get in his bed, I swear to god.” He tossed the wrapper to his burger in his bag, pulling his fries out and dipping them in his frostie. 

 

“That’s the spirit!” Pidge cheered, finally moving onto her burger. “You get your man, Keith. Don’t let any bitch stop you from achieving your dreams.” She said. 

 

Keith and Pidge finished off their food and their bowl, relaxing in the smoke-filled car before the Omegas rolled the windows down in preparation to leave for the venue. “I seriously think that you’re the only peson who could ever motivate me to get some dick.” He said, stating to drive and clear the smoke from the car. 

 

“That’s what friends are for, you know?” Pidge opened up her backpack and pulled out a little transparent bottle, spraying some of the contents over herself and Keith. “Perfume. Helps mask the weed smell.”

 

“The weed smell.” Keith parroted with a laugh.

 

“Hey, it isn’t like I’m wrong. What else would I call it?” She asked.

 

“Very good point.” He nodded, still giggling over it as he drove. “Okay, so, what happens if Shiro wants to keep seeing me after I get him in the sack? Do I like, play hard to get? Or do I act like a slut to make sure he sticks around?”

 

“I’m the worst person to ask.” Pidge replied. “So, like, me and Hunk were an accident? And it was continuous accidents until eventually we started to talk about it before we dated. So, like, I don’t know if you should do either.” She explained while staring out the windshield. “If Shiro wants to keep banging you, he’ll come to you. Or, it’ll keep happening whenever you see each other.” 

 

“So, let it happen naturally.” Keith nodded. “I kinda need to go out of my way to get him the first time, so unless he doesn’t show any interest in me after that, I should let him come to me. Got it. Understood, captain Holt.” He giggled.

 

“If Shiro doesn’t keep trying or the spark gets lost, then don’t push it. It’ll be his loss, anyway.” Pidge glanced at the clock on Keith’s radio before she pulled out her phone, opening a text. “My brother said he’s already at the venue. They’re playing early today.”

 

“Sweet.” Keith grinned, and glanced at Pidge while stopped at a red light. “Hey, what if… Shiro and I start dating?”

 

“Didn’t you just ask me that?”

 

“No, I asked what if Shiro wants to keep fucking. That’s different from dating.” Keith explained, hitting his gas a little too hard as he switched lanes. “I wanna know like, what to expect. I never dated anyone before. I figured maybe you’d know.”

 

“The one of us in a relationship, and you  _ think _ I might have advice for you.” Pidge laughed and tossed her backpack into the back seat again, after finally wrapping up her pipe and hiding it. “I dunno. I think everyone has a different experience.” She started, voice calmer. “Hunk is a sweetie, and he’s an introvert like me. Lance and Allura are both extroverts and they like to go out more than stay in.” Looking over to Keith, she shrugged. “I only ever met Shiro in passing before. I don’t know too much about him, other than he’s basically married to his music and loves to drink.”

 

“You think he might not be a good person to date, don’t you?” Keith asked, softly.

 

“Look, I don’t know what sort of boyfriend he could be. That’s all.” Pidge said with another shrug. “Matt told me that Shiro did have a really long term relationship, high school sweethearts and stuff like that.” She watched as Keith’s expression fell a bit. “I don’t know why they broke up. I never asked. But, I think it’s safe to say he wouldn’t be horrible if he can stay with someone for a few years.”

 

Nodding, Keith slowly pulled into a parking space at the venue and killed the engine. “I just… I’m worried, because I’ve had a crush on Shio since before I even knew his name.” He said. “Wouldn’t it suck if he turned out to be a complete piece of shit?”

 

“It would.” Pidge nodded. “But, if he doesn’t treat you right outside of a relationship, that’s already a huge red flag. You shouldn’t push it if he can’t respect you.” She glanced at her phone one more time before opening her door. “C’mon, don’t dwell on it. You’re over thinking like always.” She nudge Keith with a smile. “Matt says he got us something too, so hurry it up!”

 

Keith steeled himself. Pidge was right, he was overthinking. Getting out of the car, Keith followed the shorter Omega inside, where Matt, Shiro, and the bassist that Shiro had called Lotor were all standing at the counter. He waved, blushing at bit just being in the same room as Shiro.

 

“About time!” Matt said, holding out two shirts. “Here, we wanted to give you guys the first of our new merch. Hope we got your size right, Keith.” He smiled, watching the two Omegas unfold the black shirts and seeing the logo on the front. “Sick, right?”

 

“It’s just a lion head with you band name on it.” Pidge said. “Not bad though. It can be my new pajama shirt.” She grinned, pulling it over her head.

 

“I think it looks really cool.” Keith did the same; removing the mesh top over his tank top and replacing it with the band shirt. “It’s comfy, too.” The Omega blushed when he looked up, eyes immediately drawing to Shiro. “Thank you for inviting us to come.”

 

“No problem.” Shiro smiled, and god did it do thing to Keith’s insides. “Matt, here. Ten bucks to go towards them.” He turned away with the smallest dusting of pink on his cheeks, meeting Matt over by the counter to pay.

 

“Into you.” Pidge whispered to Keith, and getting a shove in reply.

 

“I think I’m the only one who hasn’t met either of you yet.” The bassist spoke in a light British accent, one that absolutely drew attention to him. “Lotor. I’m pleased to meet friends of Shiro and Matt. Well, friend and sibling.” He corrected with a dazzling smile. Keith decided he was pretty cute.

 

“I’m Keith,” The Omega said, hand out to shake Lotor’s when he offered it. “It’s nice to meet you too. I’m excited to watch you guys play again.”

 

“Then we better get our asses inside, because we’re the second ones playing.” Matt said, pulling the two Omegas to the counter to get their hands stamped. He then dragged them to the concert hall, seeing the crowd that had already formed before the first band even played. “We like to think they’re here for us. Good group moral.” He laughed. “We’re gonna head to the back and get some practice in before we go on.”

 

Keith nodded, watching both Matt and Lotor walks away before feeling a hand on his shoulder. He turned, seeing Shiro leaning down just enough for Keith to feel like it was an incredibly intimate gesture. “I hope I get to see you in the front row again, Keith.” The Alpha said, voice low and intoxicating before be walked away, following his bandmates. Keith felt his knees go weak.

 

“Oh my god.” Keith mumbled, looking at Pidge. “He likes me.” 

 

“We discussed this, Keith. Get it together.” Pidge said, gripping Keith by both arms. “You’re not letting him get you.  _ You’re  _ hunting him. He’s  _ your _ prey, Keith. Don’t let this make you weak. You need to let him know that you’re the boss around here.” She shook the taller Omega gently, watching as Keith nodded slowly. “Got it?”

 

“Got it.” Keith said, smiling. “I’m in control. I got it. I’m not gonna let him sweep me off my feet.” He repeated little goals to himself, standing to the side as the first band went on. They were decent; playing mostly slow songs except for the last one, which was arguably their best as it was more upbeat and actually sounded like  _ metal. _

 

Keith watched the crowd grow halfway through the first band’s show, and after giving Pidge a quick nudge, he headed to the front of the crowd. He was going to get Shiro. Keith wasn’t going to let an Alpha tease and toy with him just because he was an Omega. Keith wasn’t the damsel in a fantasy book. He didn’t need a prince charming. Keith wanted to be the one who called the shots, and Shiro was simply a man for Keith to play with. That’s what it was, Keith decided. He didn’t need Shiro. Shiro wouldn’t own him. 

 

Shiro stepped on stage, heavy boots stopping a few feet away. 

 

No Alpha owned Keith.

 

Shiro did a quick mic test and a few strums on his guitar.

 

Pidge was right when she said that Keith decided what he wanted and what he got. He was going to make Shiro his, not the other way around.

 

“Hey there everyone! We’re The Black Paladins, and we’re happy to be back!” Shiro said, and the crowd cheered. “We have a longer set today, since so many of you liked us last time. We’re gonna start the show off right.” He cleared his throat, looking down at Keith. “Our first song of the evening is for a special fan. It’s called “Cherry Cola”. Hope you enjoy.” The second Shiro locked eyes with Keith and began playing, strumming the guitar and singing while never looking away, Keith felt all of his resolve slip.

 

Shiro growled and practically made love to the mic, his body rocking and swaying as he moved to the music, all while staring into Keith’s eyes. Keith felt the pulsing bass beat into his soul, the speakers reverberating the music over his skin and through all his bones. Shiro’s face was all that Keith could look at, and he couldn’t keep fooling himself.

 

Keith didn’t care about being the one in control. Keith didn’t care about waiting for Shiro to come to him. Keith didn’t want to wait.

 

Keith wanted Shiro to rock his world in every conceivable way, and he didn’t care about the consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keith: im a strong independent omega who dont need no man  
> Keith: (looks at shiro)  
> Keith: i lied i need one man

**Author's Note:**

> Ages at the start of first chapter:  
> Keith, Lance, Hunk, Pidge: 15  
> Shiro: 22
> 
> End of first chapter:  
> Keith, Lance, Hunk, Pidge, Allura: 18  
> Shiro: 25  
> Matt: 24
> 
> \--------------
> 
> twitter: @bttomkeith
> 
> tumblr: pyriphlegethons.tumblr.com (writing blog), tigatrons.tumblr.com (main)
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated! i love that sweet, sweet validation


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